Newspaper vending machines employed as coin actuated dispeners of newspapers are formed as rectangular metal boxes having a pivotally mounted front door with coin actuated release or latching mechanism within the box and coin slots for inserting coins to release the door and gain access to papers piled within the box. These types of newspaper dispensers have become quite standard and are used daily by millions of people.
Unfortunately, newspaper vending machines that may be located in exposed locations such as street corners, and the like, are subject to theft of the coins therein. The coin actuated release mechanism and coin box are separated by one or more walls from the newspaper receptacle to prevent pilferage and removable coin boxes have been locked, as by cabinet locks or padlocks to prevent unauthorized access thereto. Such precautions have led to physical assaults upon the dispensers with a variety of tools such as pry bars or crowbars to pry open doors and drawers as well as mauls and punches to disable cabinet locks and smash hasps, staples and the like. Almost any slit or apetured protuberance has been subject to destructive attack resulting in major damage to the racks as well as loss of coins therein.
In an effort to thwart rip off artist or thieves, there has been developed dispensers or vending machine having internal locks to prevent easy access to the coin box. In this type of machine the actuating mechanism and coin box are entirely enclosed in a separate internal compartment of an enclosure, box, or rack for engagement with a padlock or cabinet lock, for example, inside the enclosure. In this manner neither the padlock shackle nor anything such as staples or links engaged thereby are exteriorly located and are thus not vulnerable to prying, twisting or leveraging. However, newspaper distributers or the like must manipulate a key into a lock in a relatively inaccessible location i.e. within the enclosure behind the wall in order to gain access to the coinbox. While this operation can certainly be performed, it is time consuming and unhandy. When it is considered that an official coin collector may have to service a very large number of newspaper vending machines,the expenditure of more than one minute each merely for access and relocking unduly extends the time required to complete a route.